Meet The
Assent CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

Dr. Malika Pritchett is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Pritchett received an AS degree from Collin College, a BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Texas Woman's University, a MS in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas, and a PhD in Health Services Research with a concentration in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas.

Dr. Pritchett’s research interests include research ethics, human rights, community-based participatory research, youth violence prevention, and positive behavior supports. Her research investigates oppressive, colonial research practices in the science of applied behavior analysis and the impact these practices have on establishing and perpetuating researcher-participant power imbalances.

Dr. Pritchett utilizes a behavioral systems science approach, such as ecobehavioral analyses and interventions, to inform collaborative policies, strategies, and research practices that are interwoven with a commitment to social justice, including racial justice.

Dr. Pritchett is a licensed and board certified behavior analyst, her clinical experience spans various human services sectors including private practice, residential institutions, nursing facilities, municipalities, public schools, colleges, and universities.

Elizabeth (Liz) Lefebre M.A., BCBA, LBA                                                                  

Liz Lefebre began in the field of Behavior Analysis as a Precision Teacher in 2003. Liz has a passion for helping children access the highest quality behavioral and educational services. Her broad clinical experience includes 15 years of training and practice ranging across a variety of areas including Precision Teaching, Direct Instruction, instructional design, early intervention, designing programming using an assent based learning approach, and curriculum development and modification. This experience informs her ability to develop meaningful and appropriate treatment plans, conduct intensive skill and data analysis, and ensure her clients learn to the best of their ability while providing a compassionate care model that centers the learner’s wants and needs at the focus of intervention.                                                

Liz has also successfully transitioned larger organizations from traditional ABA models to Precision Teaching ABA models, improving their quality of service and outcomes for clients. Liz's expertise in development of training systems and models, implementation of training systems, and consulting in a variety of contexts including schools, homes, and other private organizations provides her with a wide range of practice.                                        

Liz earned her master's degree in clinical psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2008 and a Bachelor's degree in the Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Washington in 2005.  

Liz founded Accelerate Learning Specialists in 2018 servicing clients in the Seattle, WA, and Hong Kong regions. Liz co-founded Octave Innovation in 2020 which provides training in Behavior Analysis and Precision Teaching.      

Liz holds a BCBA certification as well as a Licenced Behavior Analyst Credential in Washington.          

Liz resides in Santa Cruz, California and enjoys the outdoors, travel, food and culture.

Kelly is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with 20 years of experience working with children on the autism spectrum. She earned her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Washington and became board certified in 2003. Her clinical expertise includes early intervention, instructional design, functional communication with speech generating devices, elementary academic instruction, and positive behavior support for children and their families. She is committed to providing and promoting assent-based treatment.

Kelly has presented numerous data-based papers related to her clinical work at a range of state, regional, national and international conferences. She has published her applied work in the Journal of Precision Teaching and Celeration and the Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis. She is a sustaining member of the Standard Celeration Society (SCS), a full-member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), Washington’s Association for Behavior Analysis (WABA), and an ally member of Black Applied Behavior Analysts (BABA).  She has served her professional community through volunteer work as Conference Chair for WABA, Past Vice-President and a past board member of the Standard Celeration Society.

Kelly currently resides in Seattle, Washington where she is co-owner and a Clinical Services Supervisor for the Organization for Research and Learning (O.R.L.). She enjoys baking, gardening, napping, and spending time with her family.

Worner Leland, MS, BCBA, LBA (they/them) is a former researcher and educator with Upswing Advocates, a current educator with Sex Ed Continuing Ed, a current collaborative writer with the Assent Lab, and a past president of the Sexual Behavior Research and Practice SIG of ABAI. Their work focuses on sex education, assent and consent education, and harm reduction and coercion reduction education in behavior analysis.

Janani Vaidya (they/them) is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, researcher, writer, and editor. Currently, they are a faculty member of the Applied Behavior Analysis program at National Louis University. Janani also serves as an affiliate researcher with the Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group and the Assent Lab, and a co-chair for the Gender and Sexual Diversity Special Interest Group (GSD SIG) of the Association of Contextual Behavior Science (ACBS). Trained in behavior analysis and contextual behaviorism, Janani's work outside of higher education includes (1) skill-building and advocacy work with disabled and/or neurodivergent adults (2) facilitating related staff training, (3) conducting research that focuses on developing theoretical frameworks for gender and sexuality, implicit bias, harm reduction, assent-based skill building and practice, disability justice and access, and equity and (4) working for and conducting sensitivity training for a variety of media and publishing outlets. Besides their work, Janani is a voracious reader and frequently haunts local bookstores and coffee shops. You can find them on Twitter: @JananiVaidya and Instagram: @janani.vaidya, and learn more about their work at jananivaidya.com.

Michael Fabrizio (he/him) is a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst who has worked with children with disabilities throughout his 30-year career, serving as a Senior Educational Specialist for the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University, an Autism Program Specialist for the Spectrum Center for Educational and Behavioral Development in Berkeley, California, Head Teacher for Morningside Academy, a private school for children with learning differences, and later as the Lead Trainer in Morningside’s Public School Improvement Project. Michael also served as FEAT of Washington’s Clinical Services Director, overseeing their intervention programs for children and teens with Autism. He has worked in the area of assent-based practice since about 2003. 

Michael resides in Seattle, Washington with his husband of 20 years and serves as a partner and Clinical Services Supervisor and Privacy Officer within the Organization for Research and Learning (ORL) a behavior analytic private practice that works with learners with autism. He was also an adjunct professor of behavior analysis for ten years at the University of North Texas Department of Behavior Analysis, an adjunct professor for five years in the Applied Behavior Analysis master’s degree program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and the past president of the Standard Celeration Society, a special interest group within the Association for Behavior Analysis.

Michael has presented more than 100 data-based papers related to his clinical work with children with autism and other disabilities at a range of state, regional, and national professional conferences and has published his work in such professional journals as the Journal of Precision Teaching and Celeration, the Behavior Analysis Digest, the European Journal of Behavior Analysis, the Behavior Analyst Today, and the Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis.

Michael also volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for the King County Dependency CASA program. 

Brigid McCormick is the Founder and Clinical Director of Precision ABA, a Precision Teaching learning center and in-home practice in suburban Chicago, fueled by passion, empathy, humor, data, and progress, and centered on assent and self advocacy.  Before earning her Master of Arts degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Brigid received her teaching certification in Secondary Education from Illinois State University.  As an accomplished Precision Teacher and Instructional Designer, she blends education and ABA to build strong repertoires for both learners and staff.

Brigid believes her role is to coach and empower others to meet their goals.  She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who currently serves as the Past President of the Illinois Association for Behavior Analysis.  When she’s not working, you can find Brigid spending time with her family, crafting, and reading.